


Serendipitous Encounter

by midorimortem



Series: Chronicles of Diable Jambe [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Date, Costume Designer Perona, Drinking, F/M, Fancy Cocktails, Hints of previous Toxic Relationship, Historian/Retired Kendoka Mihawk, Perona's POV, Romance, Songstress Cindry, Waiter/Kendo Student Zoro, bartender Sanji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27037801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midorimortem/pseuds/midorimortem
Summary: Perona and Cindry go out for drinks at Diable Jambe, that popular bar everyone’s been talking about for months. The Ghost Princess has a story to tell about how she met a handsome stranger at the local bookstore but Cindry is certain it will end in crying, heavy drinking and glorious disaster.
Relationships: Dracule Mihawk/Perona
Series: Chronicles of Diable Jambe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1854367
Comments: 10
Kudos: 9





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> I've been a bit inactive because I'm doing 3 drawing challenges and I've lost a lot of practice, but it's been real fun. As always, I write Mihawk and Perona to avoid anxiety, the pandemic and the outside world, so grab onto your horses and enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cocktails featured in this chapter:  
> [The Black Heart](https://www.minted.com/julep/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/black_heart.jpg)  
> [The Witch's Heart](https://www.theflavorbender.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Witch-Heart-Halloween-Cocktail-The-Flavor-Bender-6-700x1057.jpg)

“Give us your most lovely, glamorous and dark drink you can come up with.” Perona said to the kind and good-looking bartender after he explained how their service worked. One of the waitresses had handed them both a menu to check on the drinks and snacks to start their evening.

At Diable Jambe, they had your typical standard drinks where you could order a bottle of wine or a couple of beers, the traditional shots and cocktails. The service was good and the drinks were on point, not too expensive and great quality liquor. But they also had this other kind of service that had become quite an attraction for new customers. If you asked the waiters for the three-word drink, they’d get you a seat at the counter. Only a single group of customers could be attended at the time, so it usually took some time to gain a seat. 

The bartender would start to make small talk and, when you were ready to order, he’d ask you for three words, three simple words to describe your drink. If his work pleased your palate, he’d tell you the ingredients of said drink. If it did not, you’d get another free try. The thing was, 'Black leg' Sanji never failed to impress his customers, so he never gave out free drinks. The clients usually kept their recipes for another time, in hopes of another visit to drink their new personalized cocktail once again.

“Lovely, glamorous and dark. Got it.” Sanji repeated, giving out a flirtatious smirk. “Fortunately Halloween is just a few weeks from now and we’d already gotten some special surprises for the occasion. We’ll have to open them earlier just for you, ladies.”

Perona and Cindry giggled as Sanji winked at them and began to work his magic. They observed as he took out a couple of peculiarly-shaped glasses, delicate and tall. Then, he grabbed a dark bottle from a box beneath the counter and gave his back to them, not to ruin the surprise.

“Any type of liquor you’re not precisely fond of, girls?”

“I’ll basically drink anything.” Cindry said, resting her elbows on the table. “The stronger the better.”

“Perfect, then. And you, dear?”

“I’m not fond of strong ones. I’m more on the sweet side of things!” Perona said, snatching a little berry from a bowl Sanji had placed in front of them.

“Strong and dark, and sweet and lovely, they’re quite opposites but not so distant from one another.” 

The bartender poured some more ingredients into a steel shaker and profusely agitated the first drink, then he left it on an ice bucket for it to cool while he shook the other. In a few minutes of leaving both drinks to cool down, he opened the shakers again. First, he served a pitch black cocktail into one of the glasses and adorned it with a sliced fig. Then, he mixed the other shaker a bit more and put the liquor into the second glass, a bright purple liquid coming out of it. Then, he added a few drops of a red syrup and mixed it with a straw, and finished the drink adding a few berries on top.

“This one…” Sanji said, picking the dark drink and placed it in front of Cindry. “... is called The Black Heart, perfectly fitting for someone who’s done with toxic relationships and awful men. It’s simple, it’s strong, mysterious and enthralling, just like our lovely friend over here.” He winked at her and smiled. Cindry blushed and took her drink, and then Sanji handed her the other slices of the fig he had used to decorate her glass. “Ah, but it also means… that even in the deepest darkness, light can shine through. Don’t close your eyes when it happens, milady.”

“And this one…” He handed Perona the second drink, but signaled her to wait a moment before tasting it. He took a small gun-like object from beneath the counter and shook it briefly, then he pointed it atop of the glass. He pressed the trigger and a large, misty bubble grew over the drink. “This one is called The Witch’s Heart. Covered in shadow and smoke, it can only be found after it receives a true love kiss.” 

He signaled, telling her that she needed to give it a little peck. Perona laughed and kissed the bubble, popping it immediately. The drink began to fume and it, indeed, looked like it had just come out of a fairy tale.

“Perfect for someone who’s more than willing to lay a spell on some unsuspecting gentleman to steal his heart.”

“Ooooh, I have to admit it, you’re good!” Perona smiled and grabbed her drink with both hands, taking a sip. It was just as delicious and sweet as he had promised. She made a loud, pleased screech and giggled. Cindry, on the other hand, simply took a sip and smiled, nodding.

“It’s good, very good.” She admitted, wincing at the strong taste of vodka on her lips.

“Then, let me explain your cocktails, as promised, and then I’ll leave you to yourselves, girls. The Black Heart is a mix of Black Vodka, fig flavored Vodka and Créme de Cassis, a strong berry liquor. The Witch’s Heart has a tint of apple Brandy with a dose of grenadine, but the most important part is a homemade blackberry shimmering liqueur. Both of them are best accompanied with dark chocolate, courtesy of the house.” He said and placed a small platter with sliced dark chocolate in front of them. He bowed down at the girls and moved away to the other side of the counter, where another couple had just taken a seat.

“Hmm, these are as good as they said, eh?” Perona said with a smile, taking a sip. She wasn’t sure if she’d order another round of those cocktails, but surely she’d come back at another time.

“The service ain’t bad, either.” Cindry answered dryly, but smiling still.

“Eh, not my type. Besides, I have a lot to tell you, you know?”

“Yeah, better start talking now, because… I mean… how did it happen? You said you were not looking for trouble anymore, that you were tired of it all, men are all the same, yada yada… So… tell me, I’m all ears.”

Perona smiled and drank again, blushing slightly and pushing some locks of rosy hair away from her face.

“You remember I told you about a big commission I got about five months ago? I was postponing it as much as I could, but when I noticed I had only a few months to finish the project, I panicked. The project is quite… unusual. I tend to do cosplays for friends and myself, I got one for a Roaring 20’s party, I even got a small project by an independent fantasy noir film about a year ago. It’s always interesting to do the research and all, but this time, they want a dress for a play. I don’t know how the people in charge got my number, I guess they found my IG, but they were interested in having one of their designs made by me, so I accepted. And they offered a lot of cash, so I couldn’t say no. But the truth is I have no idea how Spanish dresses from the 16th century look like, so I kinda got into a dead alley.”

“Typical you.”

“I know! So, I got myself to work about three weeks ago, but I could find nothing on the internet. It kept showing pin after pin after pin but no actual reference or historically accurate sources. I searched for books, but they’re either way too expensive or they would take ages to ship to this part of the country. I decided it was better to search somewhere around the city, so I went to the library, but nothing they had really worked for me. However, one of the librarians told me that at a local independent bookstore downtown they had a lot of art books and haute couture resources. I decided to give it a try and went there next day.”

“You met him at the bookstore.” Cindry said with a deadpan expression, crossing her legs.

“Ah, not only that. He was the owner.” Perona smiled and bit a slice of chocolate. Cindry chuckled and rolled her eyes, muttering some inaudible curse under her breath. 

“So you went there, asked for some reliable sources for your dress and then started to shamelessly flirt with this poor man?” Cindry asked, unimpressed.

“Not quite. Actually, it was the other way around.” She smiled and, to her friend’s surprise, she blushed a little. Perona was usually bold and courageous when it came to getting what she wanted. It was slightly unusual for her to feel bashful. “You got the first part right, as soon as I got there I cut to the chase and asked if they had something that could help, and one of the shopkeepers told me the owner probably knew of something, so they called him over the phone and he said he’d be there in a few minutes. I walked around the shop and found some interesting stuff I planned on taking home, but nothing on the 16th century dresses so far. 

“After, like… 30 minutes or so, the same shopkeeper told me the owner was at the cash register and they walked me back to _him_. Oh, god, Cinds, if you could only see him! He was gorgeous! Tall, dark and handsome would run short to describe this guy.”

“I’ve seen the photos, I won’t deny he looks great.” She took Perona’s phone from her hand as her friend gave it to her to show her a picture of the bookshop owner once more. Perona had snatched a photo while they were having brunch a couple of days ago, as he read the menu of the fancy restaurant he had taken her. Tan skin, perfectly groomed facial hair, strong jawline, beautiful and piercing golden eyes, well-kept hair that only revealed a bit of a receding hairline, but nothing to worry about. “He _is_ your type, I’ll give you that.”

“I know!” She squealed, taking her phone back. “But the thing is, he is a biiiit older than me.”

“How old are we talking about?”

“Not much… like… ten… fifteen… eighteen years, maybe?”

“Perona!”

“Geesh, lady!” The bartender said from behind the counter, and while both girls had not been speaking loudly, they weren’t so sure now he hadn’t been snooping around their conversation.

Perona waved him off and he returned to his usual business, but Cindry still had a very bitter expression in her eyes.

“Oh, come on, don’t give me that look! it’s not like I’ve never dated guys older than me. You’ve done it too!”

“Eighteen years! He could be your father!” Cindry cringed and drank from her glass as if intending to finish it in one go, but she didn’t.

“But he 's not! Thankfully he’s nothing like him!” Perona sighed and took a bite of chocolate as she pouted. “I shouldn’t have told you anything! I guess you don’t want to know what happened next.”

“Are you kidding me? Of course I want to know!”

The pink-haired girl smiled and continued.

“Well, when the shopkeeper introduced us, I explained to him what I was looking for and he immediately jumped up with several recommendations I could buy, but… he also said he had some more on his personal collection.”

“Don’t. Perona. Don’t tell me you did what I think you did.”

“I didn’t go with him, I’m not like that! Besides, I know how to take care of myself! We agreed to have lunch later that weekend. I bought the ones he recommended, he even gave me one for free. Well, we met at this very cute café I like, the one we went out for your birthday, remember? He brought like five books and he explained many interesting things to me, so I shared some of the ideas I’ve been researching through the week. He gave me some feedback and… I don’t know, we just clicked.”

“How’s the project going, by the way?”

“It’s going just fine. I think I might be able to finish it on time. But I have to say… he’s been of great help, you know? He’s very knowledgeable about many things, so he’s giving me tips and ideas. We’ve been seeing each other during the weekends and… he’s very nice. At first I wasn’t very interested in knowing much about him, I was trying really hard not to look like a crazy person, head over heels for a stranger I’ve just met, but he really piqued my interest. I grew curious as to why he knew so much, and it turns out he’s an historian and an antiquarian. The bookstore initially was an antique shop that grew quite large in old and rare books and nowadays he prefers to keep the antiques for himself. He specializes in ancient weapons, mostly swords, which is really cool if you ask me.”

“So you just got yourself a rich old guy.”

“Don’t forget National Kendo Champion of 2003 and 2006.” Perona smiled smugly and she swore she could hear the bartender spitting his drink on the other side of the counter.

“Gods, Perona, you were 9 years old when he won a National Championship, are you kidding me?!”

“Can’t you just let it go?! He’s such a sweetheart and… oh, well, I guess you don’t want to know what happened at Lola’s wedding. It was such a shame you were out of the city.”

“You took _him_ to Lola’s wedding!” Cindry exclaimed, no longer impressed. Perona pouted, facing away from her friend and crossing her arms over the table, sipping her drink with an angry-yet-adorable expression. “No, no, go on! I’m sure you ended up doing something dirty and I want to know _every_ detail.”

“What do you take me for? He was my plus one but that does not mean I went home with him.” The pink-haired woman exclaimed, faking indignation by her friend’s accusations. But then she smiled deviously. “Of course I did some stupid and very nasty things, we’ve been dating for almost a month, I wasn’t going to lose my chances!”

“God you’re disgusting, and that’s why I love you.”

“We didn’t arrive for the ceremony, but we did that on purpose. We got there just in time for the reception when they were about to serve the food. Everything was going just fine, we were chatting and laughing as we ate, until the waiter told us there was an open bar. We got really, really wasted and I’m pretty sure one of the bridesmaids had spiked some of the margaritas while nobody was watching. So we ended up dancing all night and… ah, god, just remembering gives me goosebumps!”

“That good, eh?”

“You have no idea! Then, while we were taking a cigarette break, he began to get really flirty and, gods, does he know his way with words. I haven’t told you this yet, but… we had only kissed once before the party. It was one day during brunch, but then we agreed that perhaps we were going too fast and decided to wait for a while. He had the same opinion as you, he is much older than me and he didn’t want me to think he was taking advantage of me and all that, but… at the party, none of that mattered. We kissed and kissed and then we started to make out by the garden bushes and decided it was best to take it somewhere else.”

“Oh, nasty! You went from 0 to 100 in one evening!”

“Yup.” Perona smiled, gloating in her own memories. “He called a cab and took us to his place. Gods, Cinds, you should have seen it! I knew he was kinda wealthy but I didn’t imagine he’d live in an old Gothic-revival mansion all by himself. I sorta expected ye’ olde classic bachelor’s apartment, or perhaps a loft with a roomie or two, but no. Everything you’ve seen in those old Pinterest boards about gothique decor, he has them. He lives to the aesthetic he’s been trying to portrait, and by then I didn’t find it strange or weird or anything because I was so freaking baked I just wanted him to take me to his humble abode and ravish me like Dracula did to Mina.”

“Don’t lie to yourself, you _like_ that Gothic crap!”

“Why do you think I started to date him in first place?!” 

“So… you slept with him.”

“And I would do it again, officer, I plead guilty.” The pink haired girl smiled, finishing her drink. “Next morning he woke me up for breakfast and we had a very nice chat. Later that day he drove me home and we had lunch together at my apartment. It felt so small and cramped compared to his, but he didn’t complain, and he helped me with some more ideas for the project.”

“You really like this guy.”

“I do.”

Cindry sighed and finished her drink as well. 

“Baby girl, I won’t tell you what to do. You’re an adult and I assume you know what you’re doing. This man sounds like a nice guy, but…”

“Cinds, he’s not Hogback.”

“I know.” Cindry whispered, feeling the bitter taste in her mouth from being reminded of such a disastrous and horrid relationship. “But you should know why I don’t particularly like older men.”

“I know.” Perona chanted back at her and smiled. “But not all of them are bad. You said you’ve met someone the other day at the Conservatory, don’t you?”

“That’s a story for another day, baby girl.” The young actress smiled and Perona could tell there was something very peculiar, yet odd, in her friend’s eyes: hope.

“If you say so~”

The girls smiled and Cindy called the bartender with a hand gesture to order another round of drinks. The man was busy at the moment, but he nodded and a very pretty waitress with long ginger hair and freckled skin took their order. They were going clubbing later that night, so they decided to order a couple of beers before leaving the bar. After a few minutes, the bartender walked with two tall glasses in hand and served two light beers for them, but he stared at them with anxious eyes.

“Uh, ladies, I’m sorry to probe into your previous conversation, but… I heard one of you was dating a National Kendo Champion?” The attractive blond man asked, quite ashamed.

“… yeah. Why?”

“Eh, there’s no easy way to explain this... MARIMO! Come here!”

Another young man with very bright but short green hair turned around and finished delivering drinks at a nearby table, then walked over to their seats. He was slightly shorter than the bartender and had his apron tied around his waist, but not around his neck like the rest of the staff did. In comparison, he was a lot buffier than the others, and, if Perona allowed herself to say so, he was also quite handsome, even if a large scar ran through his left eye down onto his cheek.

“What do you want?” He asked roughly.

“Say, your ‘mentor’ was National Kendo Champion for a couple of years, wasn’t he?”

“He’s not my mentor. I want to beat his ass. But yeah, he won twice many years ago. Why?”

“Sweet Lady, you said you were dating a mysterious antiquarian who likes to collect swords, right?”

“Uh… yes.” Perona asked, blinking in confusion.

“What was his name, again?” The bartender asked at either of them, raising one of his particularly weird-shaped eyebrows.

“Dracule Mihawk.” Both Perona and the green-haired waiter answered at the same time.

“Eh?!” Zoro asked, confused.

“What?!” Cindry and Perona said in unison, looking at each other in confusion.

“My job here is done.” Sanji said, turning around to receive more customers, but then he stopped and turned back again. “I forgot to tell you both. Mihawk is one of Shank’s oldest friends. He’s a donor to the bar and he always gets his drinks for free. So, the first round’s on the house, I wouldn’t dare to charge Hawk Eye’s girlfriend for her drinks.”

“Ehhhh?!” Perona asked, more confused than ever.

“Girlfriend?” Zoro asked, staring at the girl in front of him, just as confused as she was. “Wait, wait, wait, so you’re saying that man is friends with Luffy’s uncle?!”

“Yup,” Sanji said, and then proceeded to explain to the dumbfounded girls in front of him.“Luffy is the co-owner of this bar and his Uncle Shanks gave us a lot of cash for us to open it. The only thing they asked in return was to get free drinks and a nice place to hang out. Some of his friends helped too, Mihawk was one of them. Guess the guy has more than enough money to spare in bars, books, swords and gorgeous ladies. ”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t Luffy tell me?”

“Luffy doesn’t know who our investors are, that’s why he wanted Usopp to take care of it all. And I particularly don’t care about you enough to bother, Marimo.” He said and turned around, returning to his duties.

Zoro stood there like an idiot, and then muttered something under his breath that sounded like ‘I don’t have time for this’, after sparing Perona a baleful look.

“Uh… what the hell just happened, Perona?”

“Don’t know, don’t care, free drinks.”

“If your new boyfriend is getting us free drinks, I think I might get to like him sooner than later.”

Perona smiled and raised her glass, still confused but not enough to let it ruin her night. She’d ask her lover later that week and, perhaps, next time they’d come here for drinks together.

“Cheers to that!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. NEED. TO. WRITE. STUFF. FOR. OTHER. SHIPS. AND. FANDOMS!!!!!! PLEASE. STOP. ME. I. HAVE. 5. OTHER. MIHOPERO. WIPS!!!!
> 
> (Can't stop, won't stop! I will create enough content of this ship until I get fed off of it! You can't stop me wahahahaha!)


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihawk confesses something to Shanks over drinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cocktails featured in this chapter:  
> [ Flaming Dragon's Blood ](https://www.theflavorbender.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Dragons-Blood-Cocktail-The-Flavor-Bender-12-700x1057.jpg)  
> [ A Vampire's Kiss ](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/562e870ce4b05f4954c4859a/1475856905427-1DFKT9D07ESQ4RIYZ3BK/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kI-PnsNqysM2R74U2WXeSh9Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpyYx3DiRfISaCBJekdfY4l9bLCLl8YOFqUtVq1Wvuwq2uf8Bl0dIalXlSg-x8vB9h4/image-asset.jpeg?format=750w)

“Hey, guys! You came in early, we weren’t expecting you so soon. The usual, right?” Sanji asked, grabbing his favourite shaker from beneath the counter, after Nami had taken Shanks and his friend towards him. The redhead smiled kindly at the young waitress as she walked away and shoved his frowning friend down onto the seat next to him.

“Just for me this time, Sanji. Bring Hawk Eyes a three-word special!” Shanks said, smiling and embracing his friend by the shoulders.

“For the last time, I just want a glass of…”

“So, no wine from our finest harvest this time, eh?” He smiled, though the raven-haired man didn’t look so pleased. He never did, therefore Sanji was not amused. “What’s the concept?”

“Please, don’t…”

“Vampire falls in love,” He said with a mischievous smile, making a dramatic voice as if he was a News Anchor, “2 injured, 1 undead.”

“Very funny, now, Sanji, can you please bring me a glass…”

“Oh… oh!” Sanji snapped excitedly, coming to realize he knew who they were talking about. The lady had been at the bar a few days ago before a night out with her very hot and very single friend, but he hadn’t expected Mihawk and Shanks to come so soon after it happened. “I’ve got the one just for you. Wait a minute, I’ve got to get some ingredients from the storage room. Be right back!”

Sanji rushed over to the end of the counter and called one of his employees, a young boy with a large hat with antlers atop of it, and asked him for help to carry some boxes into the bar. They disappeared behind a large door close to the bathrooms and didn’t return for a couple of minutes.

In the meanwhile, Shanks had the most stupid smile Mihawk had ever seen drawn upon his face, and he wanted to smack him. He should have smacked him, but he didn’t, and he knew he’d regret not doing it the moment the red haired man opened his mouth.

“You’ve got yourself a Sugar Babe!!!” Shanks squealed and clapped his hands excitedly. “I can’t believe you finally listened to me!”

“Don’t call her that, she’s an adult and we split the bills.” Mihawk complained and rolled his eyes, thinking back if he should smack his friend against the counter or not. “And I would _never_ take advice from you.”

“Aw, come on, I’m joking! I’m joking! I’m actually glad you’re seeing someone, you’ve been alone for quite a while. But… I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner. I believe you said you met her about a month ago?”

“Yes, we met at the bookstore. I already told you that.” Mihawk said, exasperated. He didn’t want to talk about her and he didn’t want Shanks to probe into his private life more than he should, but he knew Shanks would have him talking in just a couple of drinks. He kept silent for a minute or two, trying to think what parts of the story he wanted his friend to know and which were best to keep secret. With Shanks, it was always a good idea to keep a few of those.

“But… how? She just appeared out of the blue and you invited her for lunch? That’s odd coming from you.”

“No, she came in looking for reliable sources for a project she’s engaged into. She’s a costume designer and she’s working for a theatre company at the moment, or something along those lines.” He sighed, noticing Sanji was walking back behind the counter and began unpacking whatever was inside the wooden crate the young boy with the antler hat helped him carry around the bar. “I must admit I _did_ find her quite attractive, but I honestly wanted to help her. On very few occasions we get customers looking for anything else than rare editions of novels or second-hand books; her request was intriguing and that’s what hooked me.”

“And then…? Is she worthy of becoming the next Ms. Dracule or something?”

“Gods, no.” Mihawk said, a bit revolted by the idea. Shanks was such a shameless romantic he had actually fallen for a cute waitress he had met at a restaurant many years ago during one of his long trips abroad, and ever since then he kept insisting Mihawk should look for that kind of connection with another human being. But he was way smarter than that. Falling blindly for someone you’ve just met was not his cup of tea. “No, you know I don’t believe in marriage, it’s just not for me. And she isn’t looking for a long-term thing either.”

“Ah, but you didn’t go in looking for a one-night-stand. That’s something worth noting.”

“I have to give you that.” The raven haired man admitted and stared as Sanji began preparing a shimmering mix of blueberries, lemon juice, brown sugar, rum and wine on a saucepan behind the counter. 

“I get it then, she hooked you because she’s just as weird as you are.”

“Hm, that’s not all. That day she seemed to have been running errands all morning and was wearing very simple, plain clothes. When we agreed to meet later that weekend, we went out for lunch at a café she liked. It was… nice.”

Sanji finished preparing the mix and served it into a mixer after straining the contents. He added some shaved ice into it and shook it vigorously for a few seconds, then he let it rest on a cooler he had on the side. Then he proceeded to prepare the next beverage as the other was ready. 

It was always kind of hypnotic to watch the young bartender work his magic, so Mihawk resumed talking once Sanji took another small pan and began simmering raspberries, sugar and a nice-smelling herb this time.

“I half expected her to suggest meeting at a Starbucks or something like that, or even one of those cute, lovely cafés most of the girls her age like, but instead she took me to this very dark, minimalist restó downtown; it actually caught me by surprise. When she arrived, she surprised me even more. She was wearing this gothic lolita fashion that was popular around 15 years ago, but it suits her just fine. Too fine...”

“Ah!” Shanks gasped excitedly. “She hit bullseye! She fits you like a glove!”

Shanks always believed his friend was a bit eccentric, but ever since Mihawk had been a self sufficient adult, and given the fact he had more than enough money to spend on eccentricities, he had managed to keep that dramatic goth phase for twenty years like a champ. The redhead wasn't impressed that a girl with a taste for dark fashion and very peculiar interests, like 16th century fashion, had caught his eye.

"Indeed she does. At first we only talked about her project, but as I got to know her I noticed that… well, I liked her." Mihawk admitted, careful not to look into Shanks' face. “We had more in common than I initially thought. Music, movies, books, fashion, you name it. By the end of the evening we agreed to go see that new horror movie that came out like a month ago, and we saved the date for another meeting to help her with the project.”

Mihawk sighed and noticed Sanji was reading the simmered materials into a mixer with ice. He let the contents rest for awhile, and after a few minutes he took a couple of martini glasses from behind the counter and a bottle of Bacardi white rum. Watching Sanji prepare Shanks’ favorite drink was always a treat, so he kept silent for a few minutes until he was finished. 

Once the contents of the mixer were ready, he shook them for a couple of seconds and proceeded to pour it on the glass. The beverage inside the mixer was slightly gooey and thick, like syrup. And it was also colored a bright, fiery red, which looked a lot like blood. The bartender poured a few ounces of rum atop of the syrup and let it settle for a few minutes, then he grabbed the other mixer where he had left Mihawk’s drink for cooling. Both drinks were a very bright tone of red, but while Shanks’ drink seemed to shimmer as the light hit the glass, Mihawk’s looked opaque and dark. 

Sanji decorated the dark drink with blackberries and cranberries and then, he put a couple of raspberries besides Shanks’. The young man took a small zippo lighter from his breast pocket and lit up the redhead’s drink, sending sparkles up the glass.

“A glass of Flaming Dragon’s Blood for our kindest donor, as per usual.” Sanji said, tossing the inflamed drink to Shanks. “It’s hot, be careful.”

After almost a minute, the fire consumed itself and it left a very sweet and inebriating smell lingering in the air. Then, he tossed the dark drink towards Mihawk.

“And that one is a Vampire’s Kiss.” Mihawk felt like groaning in pain, but he was slightly intrigued about the taste. “A beverage for those undead who find a spark of life in love… It’s usually done with rum, but I added a few ounces of wine for your liking.”

“Very funny, Vinsmoke, very funny.” Mihawk said and retrieved the glass, taking a sip while Shanks waited for his drink to light down. “But… I have to admit it’s good.”

“Of course it is.” Sanji said, cocking his head with a vicious smile. “Then, I’ll leave you to yourselves. Eh… just so you know, Zoro’s turn starts at 11 tonight, I’m sure you’ll like to get outta here before he arrives.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Oh, come on, just teach the kid already.”

“I won’t, I’m retired.” Mihawk said, drinking again. He usually never liked sweet drinks, but he had to admit the wine and the rum mixed quite well with the blackberries. 

“But you’re still the best there’s ever been.” Shanks retorted with a smile, but Mihawk just grimaced back at him and decided it was no use in keeping that conversation going. “So you met her again. What happened?”

“We kept working on her project and we went to the movies that week. Then we went on a third date, I asked her to accompany me and buy some things for the shop. That day, she kissed me, soI knew we were on the same wavelength. But… I didn’t want to rush things. You know how that worked the last time I did that. So we agreed to take it slow for a while. Nothing physical. We kept going out to get to know each other and to help her with the project and all that… but a few weeks ago she invited me to one of her friend’s wedding. So…”

“Ah, you knew things were bound to happen then.”

“Yes, I did. And I wanted to.” Mihawk turned his drink around his fingers, quite ashamed to be admitting this, but Shanks was always good at listening. “But it didn’t feel right. We went to the wedding and everything was fine for awhile. She was supposed to meet with a friend there, but she was out of town and couldn’t make it. So it was just the two of us and we both knew this non-physical thing was about to end in no time.”

“Ooooo, nice!”

“You act like a twelve-year-old.” 

“Thirteen, actually.”

“Anyway… I was willing to let it happen. Things got heated quite quickly. We made out, we called a cab and we went home, but then I noticed there was something wrong. Very wrong. I’ve seen her drunk once before and she didn’t act like that. She seemed so focused on getting her hands on me that she didn’t even speak or even looked at me. I stopped her before things got out of hand and… she fell asleep. I think someone might have slipped something into her drink.”

“So nothing happened. You acted like a true gentleman, if you ask me.”

“No, nothing happened. I wouldn’t dare take advantage of her. She hadn’t drunk too much so I thought nothing was wrong at first, but when we got home...”

“Why do I feel this is not the end of the story?”

“... It is not.” He sighed and finished his drink in one go. Shanks called Sanji back, but he returned with a single bottle of wine and a clean glass. He left the bottle and walked away, but Shanks was sure he kept close by to listen. “She stayed for the night, I gave her my bed and I went to the couch. Next morning I made her breakfast and drove her back home.”

“And…?”

“And… that’s it.”

“So… no conversation about the night before?”

“No.”

“You didn’t tell her you didn’t sleep together.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“And she _thinks_ you slept together.”

“Most likely.”

“You’re a dead man.” Shanks said, shaking his head in disapproval. “She’s going to kill you when she finds out!”

“I know. I’m thinking of _not_ letting her find out.”

“Goddammit man, you said she was smart, she _will_ find out! Unless… you’re planning to break up with her!”

“I don’t want to! But I think it’s the only option!”

“You’re an idiot! Give me your phone!” Shanks lunged at him and fought against his friend to snatch the device away from him, but Mihawk struggled back and pushed him back to his seat.

“I’m not telling her over text!”

“I think you should tell her.” Sanji butted in. He had been eavesdropping after all. “She… she’s Perona, right? A beauty with pink hair and big, baby-doll eyes?” Both Mihawk and Shanks looked at each other confused and surprised, but the former nodded. “She came around a couple of nights ago with a friend. She was very happy about you and… I think she knew there was something on her drink. If you tell her, she’s not going to be angry.”

“She was… happy?”

“Look at cha’!” Shanks said, tossing his one good arm around his friend’s shoulder. “Good job, Cassanova!”

“Well, yeah.” Sanji said, cleaning a glass with a rag and placing it atop of the liquor bottles, then continued to do the same with several other pieces of glassware. “Girl finds a handsome stranger who likes the same weird crap she does, he’s not a creep, he’s charming, educated and quite wealthy, not to mention a former athlete. What are a few years of difference when she just hit the jackpot with you?”

“You are right.” Mihawk said after a short silence. “I should probably call her.”

“Nah, I think you should probably run back to your place. If she doesn’t kill you she probably will like to take it where you left it last time.” Shanks said, tossing Mihawk his cellphone back. It dawned on him that the redhead had taken it out of his breast pocket when he embraced him and he’d texted Perona while he and Sanji talked.

Mihawk sprang up on his seat. He thought for a moment about strangling Shanks, but then he grabbed his coat and finished his glass of wine in one go. He was good at keeping his alcohol, but he felt a little lightheaded. 

“Here, take the bottle!” Sanji said, stretching his arm before Mihawk ran out of the bar. The dark haired man nodded and exited the place as quick as lightning strikes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween's eve! It's 11 PM in my time zone so I'm still on time for not-yet-Halloween. I hope I can get another chapter done for tomorrow and a little Myth AU I have in mind for the weekend, but I'm not sure I'll finish the later.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr: [ Midorimortem ](https://midorimortem.tumblr.com/)


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